Wednesday, December 14, 2016

Gingerbread Creations at the Grand



Every year at Christmas Christ Kitchen holds a professional gingerbread contest.  Numbers were down this year, but I will share with you a few of the best.

The best, in my opinion was the Nativity Scene done by the Hall Family.  Every detail was amazing, and it is all edible!


A wiseman...


Another Wise Man


 I loved the camel.


 The details on the stable were amazing.  See the little bird.

 The Palm Trees

 I liked this little trove of water.


The lambs were so cute.



There was even a little dog!


My second favorite was done by a local cupcake shop, Sweet Frostings.  It was a depiction of  Family at Christmastime.  There were three scenes.  There was a Christmas Tree and Fireplace Scene, a bringing home the Christmas Tree Scene, and a Holiday Baking Scene.

The Christmas Tree and Fireplace Scene






The bringing home the Christmas Tree Scene, which I thought was charming.


These two just make me smile!



The third scene was a holiday kitchen.



I like the blue appliances.  The cabinets had dishes in them!




The little dog in front of the stove was so cute.


This is a fun event to go to every year.  I will close with a few pictures of the gorgeous Christmas trees in the Grand Hotel.



Thanks for dropping by; hoping you are having a wonderful holiday season with you and yours.



Friday, December 9, 2016

Molded Spiced Brown Sugar Shortcake Christmas Cookies



Dear Red Couch Readers, I have always been fascinated with cookie molds and presses.  When I was a child, my mother bought a couple of Rycraft cookie presses, and I fell in love with them.  I even remember the store, Orange Tree Imports, in Madison Wisconsin, where she bought them. It was a kitchen store, that I thought was very magical.   What not to love about a beautiful embossed butter cookies. On a sad note, the family that owned the Rycraft Company retired this year.  Apparently, there is a company that bought some of their stock, and there are other outlets for molds.

I recently bought these molds at World Market.  They cost $3.00 a piece, which I thought was very reasonable for the detail.  Some day I would like to buy some German Springerle molds.  They are much more costly.

Even though I love molds and presses, I have had a bit of problem with them, but I am happy to tell you that I have figured out the secret of getting the cookie out of the mold!  I guess I am a slow learner, and may not be telling you anything new, but here goes.  The secret is to lightly dust the cookie mold in flower and then press a ball of dough, that also has a light dusting of flour on it, and press it into the mold.  Read the recipe below for further instructions.  I am so happy to know how to do this!  No more cookie dough sticking to the mold!



I took my brown sugar shortbread recipe, and added some spices for Christmas.  Be aware that the spices will darken the cookies, so if you are looking for a whiter cookie, omit the spices.  Also note that if you use a recipe with eggs, or baking soda or powder, you will lose some of the embossing.

Molded Spiced Brown Sugar Shortbread Cookie Recipe

1 cup softened butter -- do not use margarine
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 ginger
1/4 teaspoon cloves

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  Beat the butter and both sugars with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until light and fluffy.  Beat in the vanilla, then beat in the salt.  On low speed, gradually beat in the flour just until incorporated.  Dip the mold in flower and then tap off the excess flower.  Make a ball of the dough and then lightly roll the part of the dough that will be pushed into the .  Press the dough into the mold and level off the dough on the back.   Lightly tap the mold on the edge of your missing bowl or something similar, and the mold will begin to release.  Carefully take the mold out and place on ungreased baking sheet.  Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes, depending on the thickness of cookies and size of molds. Watch carefully so that you don't over bake!  I love a moist shortbread.  Cool cookies on wire rack. This recipe made about a dozen of the World Market Molds.


I hope you try some molded or pressed cookies for Christmas.

Thursday, December 8, 2016

Getting the Christmas Tree Tablescape

I walked into Wal-Mart and could not resist these plates by Better Homes and Gardens.  I do not need new Christmas salad plates, but they beckoned and I answered.  I love the scene that it evokes, of times when we used to get a fresh tree.  In my childhood we did have wood-paneled station wagon, not quite as cool, and we used to go cut down our trees.

I set the table with these green napkins that I bought at Wal-Mart several years ago and the napkin rings I bought from the Style Sisters.


Here's a side view of the table.


Another view of the table.


I added a little candy cane interest with these candles and...


the candy canes on the table.


This table makes me smile!

I will share the recipe for the Cranberry Cheese Cake Bars soon.



Thanks for dropping by!

Posted with Tablescape Thursday.

Monday, November 28, 2016

Santa Hat Tablescape


Hello, and welcome to my Santa Hat Table.  When my daughter gave me these Santa Hal bowls last year, I knew that I would be doing a tablescape with them.

They are so fun, and I knew I had the right plates, the basketweave brown, to coordinate with the rim of the brown bown.



I added mini Santa hats in each glass.  These are so cute!


I loved using bamboo napkins on this table.
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Centering the table, is this wooden, low-profile candleholder, flanked by fresh greens and red and brown Christmas balls.'
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Fresh greenery on the table, is, ooh so festive!
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Just another view of the bowl and plates.


Thanks for visiting my Santa Hat Table!

We call him our Santa Cat when he wears this little hat!  He is such a sweetie!


Thanks for stopping by our Couch.

Celebrating Thanksgiving With the Neighbors


Hello Red Couch Readers, I want to share with you my Thanksgiving with my adorable neighbors.  They are next-door neighbors, and we really lucked out to live next to them.  They have three sweet daughters, and they just had an addition to their family on Saturday , a little boy!

This is the dining room we ate.  Ashley, the mom and wife, always does such a good job decorating.


 She made a cute butcher paper table cloth with painted handprints of her daughters and the parents.


Everyone was given a crayon so that we could write what we were thankful for.



 She had a beautiful centerpiece.


A close up of the centerpiece.


 Each placesetting had this cute sign.


 Using the crayon to write what we are thankful for.


Winco grocery store sells butter molded into turkeys for Thanksgiving and butter molded into Christmas trees for Christmas.


I love this chalkboard wall, where she always has something interesting posted.


Desserts on Log Cakestands


She made lovely hand pies.


Alice, Their Youngest


Their Middle Child, June, With Our Talley


Their Oldest Child


B. J, the Husband and Dad



Ashleyis a woman with a lot of style.  She delivered her baby two days later.  You might ask, why we didn't have Thanksgiving at our home?  We offered, but she wanted to do it.


It was a lovely Thanksgiving spent with good neighbors and friends.

Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Posted with Tablescape Thursday



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